Zelensky sacks Ukraine's top army commander after days of protests

Image source, Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Image caption, Oleksandr Syrskyi was praised by President Zelensky for successfully defending Ukraine's capital Kyiv in 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the country's army commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

It comes just days after the removal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov - a move that triggered street protests across the country.

Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov's tenure was related to a conflict between him and Syrskyi were soon confirmed.

Fedorov, 35, has been widely praised for energising the ministry and transforming the armed forces, as well as leading a drive against corruption. Syrskyi, 60, is seen by many in Ukraine as a Soviet-school commander reluctant to implement radical changes in the army.

Syrskyi defended his record in a farewell address, writing on Telegram: "An army that was fighting a difficult defensive campaign two years ago is now on the offensive."

"I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the line but is advancing... I sincerely hope this offensive will continue."

Syrskyi was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, who is a popular, battle-hardened general.

"I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today," Drapatyi said on Facebook.

He also thanked Syrskyi "for his consistent work to strengthen the Ukrainian army," adding: "I grew up in it."

In a video post on social media late on Tuesday, Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his military campaigns, including his role in successfully defending the capital Kyiv during the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelensky also revealed that earlier in the day, he met Fedorov and offered him a "worthy position in power", but did not say whether the offer had been accepted.

Fedorov was last week replaced by Yevhenii Khmara, a former top official at Ukraine's Security Service (SBU).

"All decisions will be formalised tomorrow," Zelensky added in his post.

Image source, EPA/ Shutterstock Image caption, Mykhailo Fedorov has not said whether he accepted a new job offer from President Zelensky

Meanwhile, Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi with his new job, describing his appointment as a "new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice".

He said it was "the voice of change that could not be ignored".

Fedorov also revealed that he had called Syrskyi to thank him for the defence of the Kyiv region and other "historic battles".

"But we need to move even faster and write new chapters correcting all previous mistakes," he added.

Fedorov had been appointed defence minister only in January - but has been widely praised for using data to analyse and try to improve performance on the front line.

A former minister of digital transformation, he was active from the early days of the full-scale invasion by setting up a volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" to launch cyber-attacks against Russia.

Later, he led a successful fundraising campaign called the Army of Drones and brought in elements of "gamification" to the war, designing a system that awarded Ukrainian military units with credits for hitting Russian assets.

Image source, EPA Fedorov's ousting prompted six days of widespread protests, with Zelensky coming under mounting pressure to dismiss Syrskyi.

Zelensky appeared to have bowed to that pressure by replacing him with Drapatyi, who is seen as a younger, more innovative commander. Drapatyi is also thought to be a close friend of Federov's.

Federov's clear endorsement of Drapatyi is likely to go some way towards defusing the political crisis of the past week.

For the time being, acting Defence Minister Khmara remains in the position. President Zelensky has asked him and Drapatyi to come up with a new defence strategy, covering key issues like reforming the military corps system, weapons supply and drones.

On Monday, Syrskyi wrote an op-ed for the Militarny website, saying of his relationship with Fedorov: "I perceived our relationship as a working one... If I offended anyone, Mykhailo Albertovych [Fedorov], I'm sorry."

He said the issues of military contracts, procurement and mobilisation were a great deal more complicated than most people realised.

"Decisions on which people's lives depend are not made with slogans," he said. "Real work, not the public drama surrounding it, wins the war."

Protesters will still want to see Fedorov back in a position of real authority, where he can continue to drive forward innovation in Ukraine's battle with Russia.

If he gets such a position, Zelensky will have repaired the immediate damage. But many will not forgive him for making what they saw as the wrong choice in the first place.

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